On October 28th, Dead Cross — the hardcore supergroup featuring Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo, Justin Pearson and Mike Crain — will drop their long-awaited second album, II. It will be Patton's first release since he was debilitated by mental health issues amid the pandemic, causing him to cancel Faith No More and Mr. Bungle's tour dates in 2021.
The singer first opened up about his struggles in a July interview with Rolling Stone. Now, in a new chat with The Guardian, Patton talked more about his battles with depression and alcoholism, and also looked ahead with both excitement and trepidation to his scheduled return to the stage when Mr. Bungle tour South America in December.
"Because I was isolated so much, going outside was a hard thing to do, and that's a horrible thing," recalled Patton, who was diagnosed with agoraphobia. "And the idea of doing more Faith No More shows — it was stressful. It affected me mentally. I don't know why, but the drinking just … happened."
The singer added he has now been sober "for a while" and is "doing pretty good." He said that he's excited to get back on the road with Bungle, but "also afraid." Asked what he's afraid of, Patton responded somewhat cryptically. "I'm afraid of myself," he replied. "The band is rock solid and I want to make sure that I bring it. There are a few issues going on." When asked to clarify as to what those issues are, he demurred: "I don't know if I wanna tell you."
Bungle are scheduled to play five dates in South America, including Knotfest Chile and Knotfest Brazil. See their upcoming itinerary below.
Mr. Bungle December 2022 tour dates:
12/10 – Santiago, Chile @ Coliseum Theater
12/11 – Santiago, Chile @ Estadio Monumental, Knotfest Chile
12/13 – La Serena, Chile @ Centennial Theater
12/15 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Teatro Flores
12/18 – Sao Paulo, Brazil @ Sambódromo do Anhembi, Knotfest Brazil
